Fiber-Optic Sensors of Angular Position for Robotics

Abstract

Currently, industrial and domestic anthropomorphic robots mainly use electronic sensors that register its state (tactile force, angular displacement, spatial orientation, etc.). A characteristic feature of commercially available sensors on a semiconductor element base is the sensitivity to external electromagnetic fields and radiation effects, large dimensions and weight. However, it is possible to develop fiber-optic sensors (FOS) with a number of advantages: fire and explosion safety, protection from contamination of the closed optical channel of the sensing element, protection from electromagnetic interference, high corrosion and radiation resistance, electrical insulation strength, a wide dynamic range of measurements, the ability to multiplex the sensing elements, small size and weight. This paper presents the results of the development of angular position FOS (FOS-AP) for phalanges of an anthropomorphic robot grippers based on macrobending of an optical fiber. The sensitive element of FOS-AP is a piece of optical fiber with a diameter of 0.25 mm.